Current affairs 22 April 2024

Pragya Misra, appointed as OpenAI’s first employee in India.

• OpenAI hired its first employee in India, appointing Pragya Misra as the head of government relations.
• Misra, previously served as the Director of Public Affairs at Truecaller since July 2021.
• Misra, aged 39, assumes the role of government relations head, stepping into the position during the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in India.

IRDAI removes age bar for purchasing health insurance.

• Previously, individuals were restricted to buying new insurance policies only until the age of 65. However, with the recent changes that came into effect on April 1, 2024, anyone, regardless of age, is now eligible to purchase new health insurance.
• IRDAI has reduced the health insurance waiting period from 48 months to 36 months.
• IRDAI/HQs - Hyderabad
• Chairperson - Debasish Panda

Direct Tax Collection increase by 18% to Rs 19.58 lakh crore.

• The country's direct tax collection has increased, In the previous financial year, this amount was Rs 16.64 lakh crore.
• Income tax and corporate tax collections during the FY 2023-24 have been Rs 1.35 lakh crore (7.40 percent) more than the budget estimates.
• The gross direct tax collections (provisional) increased by 18.48 percent to Rs 23.37 lakh crore in FY 2023-24.

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Bengaluru Badshahs lifted the 5th "Deaf Indian Premier League" title.

• The Closing Ceremony of the 5th Deaf Indian Premier League, organized by the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) at Maulana Azad Stadium, Jammu.
• Sachin Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion.
• Sudershan of Deaf Hyderabad Eagles - Player of the final match and the best bowler.
• Virender Singh of Bengaluru Badshahs/Umar Ashraf Beigh of Hyderabad Eagles - Best Wicketkeeper.

Mohammed Salem wins 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award.

• He won for his image of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her five-year-old niece in the Gaza Strip.
• The winning image portrays Inas Abu Maamar, 36, sobbing while holding Saly’s sheet-clad body in the hospital morgue.
• The picture was taken on Oct 17, 2023, in Khan Younis in Gaza, where families were searching for relatives killed during the Israeli bombing of the Palestinian enclave.